Learn to Discover, Learn to Fear
by livelovecreate
Summary: Reagan Embers thought that when she was going to stay with her best friends for the summer, it would be the same as it was before. But then she finds out that they discovered a new world and she gets sucked into it. JG/OC
1. Chapter 1: The Beginning of Our Story

Reagan Embers stared up at the creepy old house. She couldn't believe she was going to stay here for the whole summer and be with her best friends again. Reagan wondered why Simon and Jared's mom and chosen this place to live. It looked pretty beaten up and very unlike their old apartment.

Reagan was so absorbed by the house; she didn't realize there was something creeping up on her. The creature snarled and that caught Reagan's attention. She spun around and saw a green, creepy... THING. She screamed and began running backwards towards the house. She tripped and pulled herself past the toadstool circle, though she didn't know it. Reagan felt arms helping her up. She turned her head and whacked Jared Grace full in the face with her hair.

"Oops! Sorry Jared," she apologized, her hand flying to her mouth.

Jared blinked a couple of times. Then he realized it was Reagan.

"It's OK. I'm good. What were you screaming about?" he asked.

Reagan pointed to the thing and said, "That."

Jared frowned and heard his siblings coming outside. Then he remembered that people with red hair can See.

"Simon, Mal, Reagan's here."

"Yah, we could hear her screaming. What was it- oh."

"There are still goblins out there."

Reagan raised her eyebrows. But she figured they must be used to seeing these things.

"Guys, what's going on?" she inquired.

The Grace kids all looked at each other. Then Jared turned to her.

"Come with us, and we'll show you things you couldn't imagine."

Reagan thought that was a very un-Jared-ish thing to say but followed them anyway.

"So, what have you guys been up to lately?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

Mallory shrugged and answered for the twins, "Nothing really, just reading, fencing and drawing."

Reagan giggled and then fell silent. They were taking her up to some sort of hidden room.

"You got to promise not to tell anyone," Simon said seriously.

Reagan put her right hand on her heart and lifted her left. "On my honor."

Simon giggled and opened the door. Inside was a study. It wasn't your everyday study. It was filled with books and drawings and other things.

Reagan walked inside, intrigued by the contents. She saw a book lying on the table she walked over ot it and saw on the cover 'Arthur Spiderwick's Field Guide to The Fantastical World Around You'. She reached out to open it but a little green goblin jumped on it and started to snap at her fingers.

"Get away from it! Go! Get away or I'll eat your fingers!"

Reagan screamed and jumped back. She turned to the Grace's and they started searching for something. Reagan watched as Jared found a bottle of honey and gave it to the thing. The goblin started to guzzle it down and changed into a little man.

"Ah the Grace's have brought a friend, But now the happiness must end."

Reagan frowned.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Mulgarath has a secret cousin, The only one who wasn't killed out of a dozen," replied the little man.

"Thimbletack, how do you know this?" Jared asked.

"Well you see, The Sprites told me," Thimbletack answered.

Reagan had a feeling this was a bad thing, because of the tension in the room and the look on her best friends faces.


	2. Chapter 2: More to it Than There Seems

"Who's Mulgarath? Guys, what is going on?!" Reagan cried desperately.

Jared spoke, his voice dark and grave,

"Mulgarath is the ogre we defeated a few months ago, and what's going on is that we live in a dangerous world where goblins and red caps try to kill us. But there is some good. Griffins, sprites, elves and other multiple things are quite helpful. Now that you know about these things, you can't turn back. You're stuck with us now."

Reagan gulped loudly. What if she could never go home? She wouldn't mind staying here. She wouldn't mind staying with Jared….. And Simon, she thought hastily, turning beat red.

"So what are we going to do about this…ogre then?" Reagan mumbled, looking at the ground.

Mallory stared at her.

"How can you believe us so quickly?" she asked, scrutinizing Reagan.

Reagan looked up at Mallory and shrugged.

"You guys are pretty convincing," she lied.

Mallory's eyebrows raised but she said nothing.

"Does your Mom know about all of this?" Reagan asked, trying to break the silence.

"Yah, she does," Jared replied, not noticing Reagan's awkwardness.

Mallory, on the other hand noticed everything. But she said nothing and smiled to herself. Suddenly, a loud growl rumbled through the house. Reagan gasped and grabbed the table.

"We better get moving."

Reagan nodded at this and began heading for the stairs. She slid on something wet and fell backwards, crashing into Jared.

"Whoa! Oops, sorry Jared. Are you OK?" she asked, pushing herself off of him.

"I'm fine," he replied, smiling a bit.

Mallory noticed how quick Reagan was to get off of him and how Jared was smiling. She looked at Simon, who didn't seem to be noticing anything. She groaned audibly and slapped her hand over her mouth.

"What is it Mal?" Reagan asked, looking up at her.

Mallory shook her head and stepped over Jared and Reagan to the door and was soon out of sight. Reagan shrugged and pushed herself up, only to slip again.

"Ugh, what IS this?" she muttered.

Jared managed to get himself up and away from the wet stuff. He held out his hand for Reagan, but found a hobgoblin putting a bird in his hand.

"Aghh! Hoqsqueal, did you do this?" he yelled, dropping the bird.

"What? I had to spit somewhere!" the hobgoblin said defensively, picking his nose.

Reagan slid away from Hogsqueal.

"Ewww, gross!" she groaned.

"Aha! Another accomplice! I'll help you See!" Hogsqueal said loudly.

Jared put his hand on Hogsqueals mouth.

"She already can," he said quickly, taking his hand away.

Simon picked up his marmalade colored cat and hugged him.

"Hi Kitty! Are we going to go and eat? Yes we are!" he said in the cat's ear.

Jared held his hand out to Reagan again and this time, she took it. He pulled her up and grabbed her by the elbows to help her keep her balance.

"Thanks," she said, blushing.

"No problem," he said, going red in the face.

They stood there for another awkward minute and then left the study, leaving Hogsqueal to eat his bird.


	3. Chapter 3: True Intentions

Reagan caught up with Mallory and walked beside her.

"Reagan, don't think I don't notice things," Mallory whispered suddenly.

Reagan stared at her. She didn't know what Mal possibly meant.

"What-?" she began but was interrupted by a crashing sound from outside the house.

All of the kids looked at each other and ran to the nearest window, which was in Mallory's room. They all stared in fear at what they saw. An ogre was right outside the house and was grinning evily. Reagan started to walk backwards towards Mallory's bed and sat down. Her face was pale and she was trembling from head to foot.

"Let's go and get some lunch," she squeaked and got up.

They all trampled downstairs and walked into the kitchen where Lucinda and Mrs. Grace were. They were looking concerned and talking in low voices. Mrs. Grace saw Reagan and smiled.

"Hello Reagan! What a wonderful surprise. I assume you heard the growls? If you didn't, you'd be deaf," she said, not really paying attention.

"Mom, can you make us some lunch?" Simon asked.

Mrs. Grace nodded and began to get some bread out.

"I thought Hogsqueal had eaten Mulgarath?" Lucinda said, making it sound like a question.

"He did. It's his cousin. But we're not sure if he's after the book or something else," Jared said, leaning against the kitchen counter.

"Thimbletack had heard and is going to tell, what the Sprites know so well," Thimbletack said, appearing out of nowhere.

Reagan jumped back and breathed out a sigh of relief.

"Thimbletack, don't do that!" she muttered, but just smiled.

"I am quite sorry, but now you should be worried," Thimbletack said solemnly.

Everyone was around the table in an instant.

"What do you mean Thimbletack?" Jared asked.

"What I say is very true, what the ogre wants is you," Thimbletack stated pointing to Reagan.

Reagan could feel her heart beating faster and everyone's eyes trained on her. For the first time, Reagan feared for her own life.


	4. Chapter 4: The Love Begins

Reagan Embers had never been so scared in her life. When she was born, she never cried and never threw a tantrum and when she grew older she still acted that way. She got hand-me-downs from her brother and soon she became a tomboy. She didn't care much for dresses and wasn't afraid of anything. Well, until now.

"M-m-m-m-me? Why me?" she choked out.

Jared and Simon stared at each other. Reagan was never like this. She was changing here.

"Don't worry Reagan. As long as we stay in here then we're OK! Right?" Simon said hastily.

Jared nodded, not wanting to say anything. He turned and began to walk out of the kitchen.

"Where are you going?" Simon asked.

"This is going to end," Jared muttered.

Reagan jumped up and turned Jared around.

"You're not going anywhere. Not without us," she said defiantly.

Jared frowned and just walked away. He was going to finish this by himself.

"JARED! DON'T BE STUPID!"

Jared walked out the front door and slammed it shut. He had his backpack on already and walked out towards the ogre.

Reagan ran out the back door and saw Jared about to take a step outside the circle. She ran and knocked him over and fell over herself.

"What the HECK are you thinking!?!?!?" she yelled at him.

Reagan punched him in the shoulder and soon the two began to fight. Reagan was getting the better because Jared didn't want to hurt her. But soon he began to fight harder as if they were younger again. Reagan grabbed the front of his shirt.

"This is suicide Jared! Think about your family! Think about what it would do to…."

Reagan stopped mid-sentence realizing what she had been about to say. She let go of Jared's shirt and stood up. She took a few steps away then turned and ran for the house. Jared stared after her. Suddenly he remembered the ogre and began to hear what he was actually yelling.

"YOU WERE THIS CLOSE! GET THEM AWAY FROM THIS HOUSE!"

Jared picked himself up and ran into the house as well. He looked in the kitchen and saw his mom, brother and aunt... but where was Mal? He heard crying from upstairs and cautiously walked up. He stood outside of Mallory's room and heard the two girls talking.

"Reagan, don't think about it. It'll just make it worse. If he wants to go and kill himself, then fine."

That made Reagan cry even harder. She sniffled and wiped away her tears with her sleeve.

"Mal, you don't understand. I'm the one who's causing all this trouble and I'm the one who nearly killed him."

"That's not true…"

"It is Mal. I don't know what to do."

"We'll figure something out."

Jared heard the two girls get up and looked around for a hiding spot. There was none so he pretended to be walking up to the study. Mallory opened the door and Reagan stared at him. She didn't buy it. He knew she wouldn't.

"Jared!" Mallory yelled at him and he knew he was busted.


End file.
